Not sure if anyone else has posted this yet, but I got an e-mail from iGear this morning relating to refunds for the cancelled PP01S as well as an explaination for the delay to PP05.

It may be a delay, but at least they are promising an extra head for our troubles.

 

It's in the major thread a few posts down:

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/trans...ot-ironhide-not-ratchet-prototype-photos.html

I dunno' though... starting not to like how IGear does business anymore.

 

Yeah I'm starting to worry about my Brawn pre-order. I'm hoping tho with the mini warriors not being so complicated and having seen actual final proto colour pics that these guys will be on time.

 

I've been saying this all along...

1) MPs are too complicated for 3rd party companies.

2) the workers in iGears sweat shop don't work as fast as the workers in the CHMS sweatshop.

 

I've have considered cancelling my pre-order of PP05, been waiting a long time on it.

 

you've waited almost for 1 year and cannot wait just a few more months?

 

In iGear terms, "a few more months" could mean another year.

 

At this point, who says it's a few more months? How do we know it won't be delayed yet again?

 

Wouldn't this just back up the factory even more? I won't pretend that I know how the process works because I don't - but if they're already bogged down and Igear gives them MORE junk to make, wouldn't that compound the problem?

 

I'm glad someone else posted this, because my initial thought was:

"We're sorry for the delays coming from us packing so many accessories onto these items. To make up for it, we'll give you more accessories."

 

I feel a bit vindicated to hear all that extra accessory crap is the problem. Hated it since the get-go.

Next time, don't bother with it Igear.

 

so the only extras go with the Ratchet version? That's crap cause I only ordered the IronHide version!

 

I thought both versions came with a mountain of stuff.

 

It seems like iGear are damned if they do and damned if they don't with some of the online community.

If they'd released Ironhide & Ratchet with minimal extras they'd have gotten flak for not including more stuff to make the pricetag seem more reasonable.

If they rushed through the production process to keep people from complaining about what they think they're entitled to happy there'd be a big risk of some kind of QC disaster which would again bring them further criticism and that's without mentioning the BS they still get thrown their way for the origins of Faith Leader and their MP Seekers & Coneheads.

Anyone with half a brain would approach each 3rd party purchase with a mindset that the usual "rules" relating to release dates and the like don't really apply because small companies without an official license generally aren't set up like Hasbro or Takara.

Yes, the delay to Ironhide & Ratchet is frustrating but if another month or whatever helps ensure the best versions of either character ultimately reach us as good as they're shaping up to be then so be it.

 

That's crazy, no business get a free pass to lie. Here is an easy, off-the-top-of-my-head scenario of how they could've handled it better:

Use a system where people can put down a small amount of money ($10 or so) to reserve the figures. Explain that they have absolutely no idea when the figures will actually ship to customers, but it's likely to be prior to 2014.

Of course, that doesn't let them pocket a huge amount of cash while providing their customers with nothing but lies, so they didn't go for that.

 

Delays from Igear don't surprise me, but at least they say it's still happening. I've given up on them releasing PP02 Horror Monarch, The webpage here has not been updated in over a year, and they don't answer email question about it anymore.

 

As long as the toys come out with impeccable quality, they can take as long as they need to.

 

What's crazy is the constant whining and complaining from impatient collectors whenever a release date changes.

I pre-ordered the 2 PP05's way back in July of last year, I would love to have had both on my shelves before Christmas but I accept that release dates can be subject to change and as iGear have considerably less resources at their disposal than a global giant like Has/Tak I'm more likely to cut them some slack if things take longer than initially expected.

As long as the final product is good then I don't mind waiting....there's never been a decent official Ironhide or Ratchet in over 25 years so another month or whatever doesn't really make much difference to me.

 

I preordered back in July as well, and I'm glad you're feeling patient. Must be nice!

It's not "whining" if they've already taken our money. At the point where they took our money, there was an informal, non-binding, but still relevant contract between the buyer and the seller.

Your argument is a slippery slope to crazy town. If it's ok to push a release date 3 times, and by 5 months, is it ok to push it 8 times, and by 12 months? What if they pushed it out to 2015, and in 2014 you got in a freak accident that took your hands and blinded you, rendering the toys useless to you? If they'd kept their end of the bargain, you could've had two years to enjoy them.

It's either OK to mislead your customers (be it intentional, or through sheer incompetance) or its not. Hint: it's not.

 

Hell, I probably will wait a few months, but with the news of PP01s being cancelled, I'm worried this might go the same way, or end up waiting nearly 3 years on it like the Robobuz figure Robobuz Toy Model Pre-Order Site.

Its not that I'm impatient, just worried they'll pull the plug and be slow to issue refunds on pre-orders.